Self-cleaning rake



Aug. 13, 1940.-

. 3.1.` R. KUNZELMAN y 2,211,236

'SELF-CLEANING' RAKE I Filed Dec. so, 1937 75%@ w mi E i Patented Aug.113, 19.40

UNITED, STATES vPATENT or-*Fics 1 Claim.

My invention relates to rakes generally known as garden rakes, and moreparticularly, to rakes of the self-cleaning type.

As is well known, when raking trash, and particularly leaves, it isnecessary to frequently stop raking and remove, by hand, leaves held onand between the teeth of the rake, which is not only annoying butrequires a good deal of time, and hence makes the operation slow andtedious.

The object of this invention is to pivotally attach a rake head to ahandle in a manner in which movement of the rake handle away from theoperator, while the points of the teeth are resting on the ground, willcause the rake head to fold toward the operator and position the teethlongitudinally on the ground. A continued movement of the rake in thissame direction for a very short distance will strip the leaves from theteeth by their frictional engagement with the ground. The inventionfurtheri provides yielding means for returning the rake head to normalposition as soon as pressure on the rake handle, away from the operator,is removed,

thus causing very little delay and effort in removing leaves or othertrash from .the rake. Further means, operative at will, is provided forlocking the rake head against hinge-like movement, whereby the rake maybe used for general raking purposes in which movement thereof toward andfrom the operator is required.

, To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of thenovel devices, combinations of devices and arrangement of partshereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view-of the improved rake with a portion of the handlebroken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved rake as shown in Fig. l, onan enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, with the exception that therake head is turned into its stripping position;

Fig. 4 is also a view corresponding to Fig. 2, with the exception thatthe rake head is locked against hinge-like movement;

50 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View partly in elevation and partly insection, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2`; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly insection taken on the line 55 6-6 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

The numeral `'I indicates a wooden handle having at one end a pair offixed and diverging metallic arms 8, the free end portions of which areparallel and terminate in eyes or bearings 9.

The rake head includes a back or horizontal 5 member I0, the ends ofwhich terminate in trunions II journaled in the bearings 9. Integralwith the under side of the back I5 is a plurality of depending teeth I2,which are intermediately curved with their free end portions extending10 downwardly and rearwardly.

To prevent forwardly swinging movement of the rake head from normalposition, the same is provided with an L-shaped stop finger i3. Thissto-p nger I3 is at the left-hand end of the back 15 I0, lwith which itis integrally formed, and its free end portion overlies the respectivearm 8, which arm acts as an abutment to limit forward swinging movementof the rake head.

A coiled spring I4, encircling the right-hand 20 end portion of the backI0, has one of its ends anchored to the adjacent arm 8 and its other endanchored to the adjacent tooth I2. This spring I4 is und-er strain toswing the rake head forward until stopped by the engagement of the 25 ystop finger I3 with the respective arm` 8.

To lock the rake head against pivotal movement, there is provided athimble I5, loosely and slidably mounted on the left-hand arm 8, havingon its outer end a lug IB arranged to extend 30 over the stop nger I3and hold the same pressed against the respective arm 8.`

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the thimble I5 and its lugI6 have three-point contact with the arm 8 and the stop inger I3, 35 andthereby frictionally hold said thimble in an operative position. It willalso be noted that the sto-p nger I3 has a cam surface I1 onto which thelug I6 may be pressed with a variable pressure. This cam surface I1 willalso compensate 40 for wear between the cam surface and the lug I6. Whenthe thimble I5 is not in use, the same may be frictionally held in thecrotch between the arms 8, as shown in Fig. 1.

From the above description, it is evident that 45 when the rake is drawnin the direction of the arrow on Fig. 2, the rake head will be rigidlyheld by the stop finger I3. A movement of the rake in the direction ofthe arrow on Fig. 3, will cause the rake head to fold under the arms 8'50 and thereby bring the free end portions of the teeth I2 parallel orsubstantially parallel with the ground, so that leaves or other trashthereon will be removed by pushing the rake over the ground in thedirection of said arrow. When on the rake head arranged to engage one ofthe arms and position the rake head in an operative position withfreedom for turning movement into a position in which its teeth extendrearwardly in substantially a horizontal stripping position, a springnormally holding the rake head with its stop member in engagement withsaid arm, and a thimble slidably mounted on one of the arms and having alugarranged to engage the stop member and hold the same on 10 said arm.

JOHN R. KUNZELMAN.

